2-Minute Tutorial: How to Setup A Virtual Set on TriCaster

In this 2-minute tutorial, Don Ballance shows you how to very quickly set up a virtual environment (TriCaster LiveSet) inside of a Mix/Effects (M/E) bus using TriCaster Advanced Edition with NDI. Current TriCasters models come with either four or eight multiple M/E buses, where we setup our virtual sets. Each M/E can house a different virtual set or a different camera angle of a specific virtual set.

First, select the M/E you wish to use. M/ E 8 is selected here.

After selecting the M/E to use for our LiveSet from the row of M/E tabs as in the image above, mouse over the M/E Preview display at the right of the section and click on the “+” that appears.

Each LiveSet offers several camera angles.

This brings up the Media Browser, which displays the available virtual sets and preset camera angles, among other content.

Find the virtual set that you like and select the camera angle you wish to use for that set in that M/E. The preset will load and you are ready to go.

The first example in the video is a two-layer LiveSet, and we set up the layers as seen in the UI image below; the first layer is for the talent, which we bring in using Input 2, and we bring in DDR 1 for layer B, which populates the virtual monitor in the set.

In TriCaster Advanced Edition, you can have three- and even four-layer virtual sets as well. The next LiveSet loaded in the video is a four-layer virtual set, with three layers for individual talent shots at stations in the set, and the fourth layer for all of the background graphics on the virtual monitors in the set.

Setup controls for a four- layer LiveSet.

In the video, we see that several M/Es applied to do the virtual camera work for this set:

M/E 5 is the wide shot of the full set, with all three talent positions visible

M/E 1 is the close-up of Don at the center desk in the virtual set (as seen in the UI shot just above)

M/E 2 is the close-up of Rex standing on the left position of the set

M/E 4 is the close-up of Kiki at the desk on the right of the set

Finally, M/E 7 has been used to layer together all three close-up camera views into a graphic background, seen in the UI images below. The operator can of course do takes between these presets, but TriCaster Advanced Edition will also interpolate the virtual moves to transition between these presets if the operator chooses.

M/E 7 has been used to build a multi-layered composition of the three camera views and a multi- layer graphic.

So the TriCaster Advanced Edition virtual sets have the ability to have multiple camera angles, multiple layers, and virtual camera moves that give you much higher production values when you are creating your shows.

We hope you like this video, and if you have suggestions for other topics you would like covered in a 2-Minute Tutorial, please send us a message. We’ll see you next time.